Audio CD review:
Gerry & The Pacemakers - Essential

Gerry & The Pacemakers - Essential

Band: Gerry & The Pacemakers Title: Essential Rating: Release Date: 31 March, 2003 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: How Do You Do It 2: Away from You 3: I Like It 4: You'll Never Walk Alone 5: Chills 6: Shot of Rhythm and Blues 7: Hello Little Girl 8: Summertime 9: Slow Down 10: I'm the One 11: You've Got What I Like 12: Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying 13: Show Me That You Care 14: It's Gonna Be Alright 15: It's Just Because 16: Ferry Cross the Mersey 17: I'll Wait for You 18: Why Oh Why 19: I'll Be There 20: Reelin' and Rockin' 21: Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On 22: Rip It Up 23: You Win Again 24: It'll Be Me 25: Walk Hand in Hand 26: la La 27: Girl on a Swing 28: Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine

Customer Reviews Comparing Compilations The disc `The Best of Gerry & the Pacemakers: The Definitive Collection', released in 1991, offers most of its 25 tracks in stereo. There's more to the various Gerry & the Pacemakers `Best of' compilations than a mere variation in track count and/or choice. The remastering (and in some cases remixing) has been very carefully done at Abbey Road Studios, where most of the tracks were recorded. The sound is very good, although some may argue it is not the original sound of the hits, as all singles were originally only issued in mono. Some stereo versions are quite primitive, as the tracks were recorded on 2-track: one for the backing track, one for vocals, just like the earliest Beatles recordings, but the people at Abbey Road managed to 'open' the sound. This CD also offers `Hello Little Girl', never before released - probably because The Fourmost had their recording released first (which was a minor hit). Another good compilation is `Gerry & the Pacemakers at Abbey Road: 1963-1966': this offers 28 tracks (comprising the 25 of the aforementioned CD), but they are all in mono. This CD has been denoised, which, if properly done, will not degenerate the sound, but may affect the way you experience it. I found the sound to be a bit sharper, but not annoying. The booklet is very well done, detailing the band's history, and a bit of the history of Abbey Road studio's. This disc has been re-issued as `Essential', but alas without the informative booklet. Recently the budget 2CD `The Best Of G&TP' has been released, offering 40 tracks, which is excellent value for money, but it leaves out some of the tracks which are on the other CD's, offering more album tracks like rock'n'roll and oldies covers. All in all, I think that the choice is yours. If you come across a cheap compilation CD, other than the ones mentioned here, I recommend you listen to them first for sound quality - try before you buy!. Everything you could want If you are not familiar with Gerry Marsden's band beyond his two famous songs "Ferry Across the Mersey" and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", this fills in the gaps quite nicely. This often overlooked group is very well represented on this great compilation. If you are an avid Beatles fan, as I am, you already know that they had the same producer, George Martin, and that the Pacemakers inherited some early Lennon-McCartney compositions that the Fab Four passsed on, or never released. So, there is a similarity in sound, especially in the '63 - '65 songs. The difference is the Pacemakers never strayed from their roots, while the Beatles were constantly reinventing themselves. If your favorite Beatles period was when they just wanted to hold your hand, then you'll love this album. Though more MOR than most 'Invaders' - but 'very' excellent It was what really propelled them since their sound didn't include the close harmonies and/or twanging guitars of the Searchers and some of the other early British bands. Gerry Marsden had the perfect reedy voice to front this vintage British Invasion group. Their sound was usually more middle-of-the-road compared with everyone else in the early stable. Their initial propellant here in the U. S. was the absolutely gorgeously written-and-performed "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", which is high up on the list of greatest ballads of the last 50 years. It fit in well with the slew of mid-tempo tunes by the likes of the Searchers ("Don't Throw Your Love Away"), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas ("Bad to Me" and "Little Children"), Peter and Gordon ("A World Without Love"), and Chad and Jeremy ("Yesterday's Gone") from mid-spring of '64. These songs really defined the second wave of the 'Invasion'. It was an expressly magical moment for our young mid-sixties' generation. When Gerry and the P's got bouncy, they ended up with mixed results. "How Do You Do It" was pleasant at best, though it charted relatively high. "I Like It" followed almost immediately in the U. S. and though pretty much a knockoff, nevertheless surpassed its model by a slim margin. And "La La La" never received the airplay it deserved - I think I only caught it once - it was possibly 4 out of 5 stars. I'm pretty sure "I'm the One" charted, but I don't think I ever heard it played. "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" was the only other of their ballads that fit into the neat compartment of the 'young sound' - in fact it became kind of an anthem, for obvious reasons. Some of the other ballads ("You'll Never Walk Alone", "Give Me All Your Love") seemed more like adult music (even the Beatles did this kind of stuff, but never released any as singles). They didn't sit that well with the teenage audiences who were buying most of the records, though "I'll Be There" was particularly gorgeous. I myself was always on the lookout for their next great record, which finally came along in the shape of their only genuine rocker "It's Gonna Be Alright", definitely one of the very best songs the year it came out. Their last main chart success was the very groovy "Girl On a Swing", which fit in with the feel of some of the better late Herman's Hermits tunes from around the same time ("Listen People" and "There's a Kind of Hush"). It's definitely on the early edge of music from the 'Love Generation'. . You can see a complete list of all Gerry & The Pacemakers discography, or go back to the Gerry & The Pacemakers tabs